018 I Don't Know How
by JjdoggieS
Summary: Prompt: I Have Been Flirting With You Since I Met You, But You Think I'm Just Teasing And I Don't Know How To Make It Clear That I Actually Mean What I Say


Being friends with someone as oblivious as Hermione could really get on someone's nerves. It would probably help if Draco had more patience. In his defense, after years of trying to flirt with her, mostly from teasing her, he could only take so much. He knew he wasn't supposed to like someone like her, much less fall in love. That was the kind of thing that would get you blasted of their family tree. Like his cousin, Nymphadora, she'd married a halfblood. What would happen if he even liked a mudblood? Muggleborn. Mudblood isn't an acceptable term anymore.

Ever since stupid Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, the Ministry really cracked down on anyone they thought could be a Death Eater. Not that he was, well he used to be, but he didn't want to be one. Anyway, after their seventh year, which was one of his favorite years because neither Harry or Ron were there to get in the way. Too busy being aurors to be students again. It came to about no one's surprise when Hermione was the only one of the Golden Trio to return to Hogwarts after the war.

He hadn't read about what the Golden Trio were going to do after the war in the Daily Prophet like everyone else had. And a year later, after they'd graduated, it didn't come as much of a surprise when he saw engagement announcements for Ron and Hermione, shortly after followed by ones for Harry and Ginny. But it didn't matter, he had Astoria. Not that his parents approved of her, but they'd prefer her over Hermione. Pureblood over muggleborn. That's how his entire life had been as far as he could remember, not that blood-purity mattered much anymore. Only in certain pure-blood families did they care. But, they were the few who cared before the second wizard war anyway.

He hadn't thought much of Hermione Granger after marrying Astoria about ten years ago, that is until he saw her with Ron, Ginny, and Harry at King's Cross, dropping of their kids. Harry and Ginny were dropping off two of their kids, their oldest James Sirius Potter and their middle Albus Severus Potter, their youngest was there too, Lily Luna Potter. God those names. Hermione and Ron were dropping off their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley, Ron holding their son Hugo Granger-Weasley shoulder. She was going to be the same year as Scorpius. Maybe they could have his happily ever after. Not that he believed in that bullshit anyway.

Anyway, the main idea of all this was the not so expected divorce between Hermione and Ron. At least it wasn't unexpected for Draco, he might not have gotten along with the Golden Trio during their years together in Hogwarts, anyone who spent enough time around them could tell that Ron and Hermione had conflicting personalities. Hermione cared too much, and Ron didn't seem to care at all, and it wasn't just about schooling or grades, it was about almost everything. He was honestly surprised that they hadn't gotten into an actual fight, or at least the Hermione hit Ron with something other than a book. But it hadn't happened.

Instead 20 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione Granger divorced Ronald Weasley. She hadn't done it publicly, instead keeping it between herself and Ron, but Ron being the idiot he is, got into an argument with her at their daughter's quidditch match during her second year. And of course it was Gryffindor vs Slytherin so just about everyone in the wizarding world that had been a part of either house were in attendance. The next day it was all over every newspaper and on every magazine, 'Granger and Weasley are no more?', obviously.

When he'd owled her a week after their divorce was finalized, he truly hadn't been expecting a reply back. But he got one. He'd asked her if she was okay and if she wanted to meet somewhere. His wife had died a few months prior, not that his announcement meant much due to Hermione's divorce, not that he was blaming her of course. To his surprise and delight she said she'd love to meet up with him somewhere. He suggested the Three Broomsticks. She agreed. She set a time and date. He agreed. And that's how they ended up here. A known ex-Death Eater having butterbeer at three in the afternoon with the brightest witch of their age.

Her soft voice pulled him from his thoughts of how this was even possibly happening. "I'm sorry about Astoria Draco, I wish I'd known months ago." Hermione sighed, grabbing one of his hands with her soft ones.

The words came out of him before he even thought of them. "Don't be, you had your own things to be worrying about." He was surprised by what he was saying, but it seemed like she was just happy that he wasn't acting like he hated her. Which he didn't, and he never truly had. Okay, sometimes when she'd get better grades than him in their first few years at Hogwarts he hated her, but that was until she punched him in the face.

Her beautiful face was smiling softly at him as she said, "Draco, do you want to go talk somewhere more private? That is unless you want every news outlet to be talking about this for the next week or so." That was true, the two of them sitting together, publicly would probably lead to some claims that he was the reason behind her divorce and that was not something he needed to deal with. And Scorpius didn't need to hear about that either.

He quickly agreed, letting her lead him out of the pub after leaving some money for their drinks. He was just about to ask her where she wanted to go when she apparated them to some cottage, in the middle of the countryside. "I hope you don't mind the mess, I haven't been here since last summer." Hermione apologized. It wasn't even that messy, just a few books strewn throughout the house which wasn't so odd considering that it is Hermione.

Once again, his mouth was acting before his brain knew what it was doing, "What is this place?" Hermione stopped her quick cleaning up, which made him feel bad for a second before she lightly laughed.

"This," She started, gesturing to the cottage around them, "is my house now." That's it. That's the entire explanation she gave. So, Hermione Granger, a woman he tormented for years apparated him to her house so they could talk. Oddly, not one of the weirdest things that's happened to him. Although, taking her to his housed was out of the question. Considering his parents still lived their. His mother probably wouldn't care too much about her being muggleborn, so long as he didn't say he had a romantic relationship with her. His parents still wanted him to marry a girl from the Sacred Twenty-Eight. His father on the other hand wasn't as subtle about keeping his distastes to himself about muggles and muggleborns.

Two years later, between their kids' fourth and fifth year at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger married Draco Malfoy during a beautiful summer day in early June.


End file.
